The Presentation in the Temple
Master of the Prado "Adoration of the Magi"·c. 1470/1480
Historical Context
The Presentation in the Temple by the Master of the Prado "Adoration of the Magi," painted around 1470-1480, depicts the infant Christ being presented to Simeon in the Temple of Jerusalem. This anonymous Netherlandish painter is named after a large Adoration panel in the Museo del Prado. His work shows the influence of Rogier van der Weyden's emotional intensity and Dieric Bouts's quiet contemplative mood.
Technical Analysis
The oil on panel demonstrates the meticulous Early Netherlandish technique with precise rendering of architectural details, textiles, and religious objects. The rich, jewel-like color and careful treatment of light filtering through the temple interior show masterful command of the oil medium.
Provenance
Count Johann Rudolph Czernin von Chudenitz [1757-1845], Vienna, by 1823;[1] by inheritance through the family of the counts Czernin, Vienna; Count Eugen Czernin von Chudenitz [1892-1955], Vienna, until about 1954. (Wildenstein & Co., Inc., New York), by 1954; purchased 1955 by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, New York;[2] gift 1961 to NGA. [1] Franz Heinrich Böckh, _Merkwürdigkeiten der Haupt- und Residenz-Stadt Wien und ihrer nächsten Umgebungen; ein Handbuch für Einheimische und Fremde_, 2 vols., Vienna, 1823: I:294-295. Colin Eisler, in _Paintings from the Samuel H. Kress Collection: European Schools Excluding Italian_, Oxford, 1977: 59-60, states that Czernin probably purchased the painting from Edward Solly; the basis for this statement is not given, however. [2] A letter dated 8 February 1955 from Wildenstein & Co. to the Kress Foundation outlines the agreement for the sale of two paintings and a bronze figure (see copies in NGA curatorial files and The Kress Collection Digital Archive, https://kress.nga.gov/Detail/objects/2271). One of the paintings was _Presentation in the Temple_ "by Memling."
